Let the Good Times Roll: Asia's Juggernauts Keep Tiremakers Sweet
03-Jul-12 12:12
[ Programme Segment: The Breakfast Grille ]
Continental Tires Malaysia Sdn Bhd CEO Benoit Henry discusses: - May acquisition by Continental AG, of the remaining 30 per cent stake it didn’t already own in Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd from joint venture partner Sime Darby; - Whether amicable - price paid for the stake; - 100 per cent foreign ownership - whether allowed; - First ASEAN office - in a rubber-producing country - proposition today; - Other issues: education - staff quality - 'lack of ambition' - mobility - 'taking a risk'; - Reliance on rubber - weather patterns - unpredictable fuel costs and labor shortages - extreme price volatility in rubber supplies - strategy; - Rubber prices heading downwards since March - whether reflection of waning global demand - factors; - Rubber substitutes - proportion used in relation to natural rubber - long-term adoption - state of technology - safety / performance issues; - Regional - International market- issues; - Tiremakers - Michelin - Pirelli - yourselves - outperforming market generally as well as Europe’s automotive sector - reasons - factors; - Local operations - issues - demand for highly-skilled workers - staffing - extent of operations - amount invested - quantum of future investment - value chain - outlook; - German manufacturing - expertise - R&D - whether consider Asia-based R&D in future; - Emphasis on human capital; - New technologies: level of progress - time to commercialisation.
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